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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The word “Arawak” comes from “aru” which is the Lucayan word for what?

2. When did Great Britain impose the Stamp Act, requiring that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper made in London?

3. In Chapter 9, the author asserts that in 1790, there were 500,000 slaves in the U.S. How many slaves were there in 1860?

4. What were the two main resources sought by Christopher Columbus on his voyage when he first encountered the Arawaks?

5. Where did the Antinomian Controversy take place?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Christopher Columbus intend to travel when he “discovered” the Americas? Where does the author assert he actually landed in Chapter 1?

2. How does Howard Zinn describe the changes of the Native American population from the 1820s to the 1840s in Chapter 7?

3. What choice were the Native American people given in regard to their futures and their homes, according to the author in Chapter 7?

4. How does the author describe the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in Chapter 5? How successful were the Americans in the first battles?

5. What was the first representative assembly introduced in Virginia? What were the responsibilities of this assembly regarding slavery?

6. How does the author describe the Sioux puberty ceremony for women in Chapter 6?

7. How does Howard Zinn describe the growth in the number of slaves in the United States between 1790 and 1860 in Chapter 9?

8. How does the author describe Virginia’s “chain of oppression” in Chapter 3?

9. How does the author describe the growing violence surrounding slavery in the 1860s and 1870s in Chapter 9?

10. How does the author compare and contrast the treatment of women to that of the Native Americans in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss Sojourner Truth and her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech in Akron, Ohio. When did Sojourner Truth give this speech? How was it received? In what ways do you think Sojourner Truth influenced perceptions of women in society?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the origins, history, culture, religion, and society of the Arawak people, and how this society changed with the arrival of Columbus and his fleet. How many Arawak people inhabited the islands where Columbus landed? How many slaves did Columbus take with him?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the various factors that led to the American colonial discontent which enabled the American Revolutionary War. How many independent revolts had taken place in the colonies prior to the war? What does the author assert in regards to the motivations of the war? Do you agree or disagree with Zinn’s perspective? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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